Fire up the grill and place on medium heat. Trim the base of the figs, if necessary, so they sit flat. Place 1 or 2 pieces of cheese on each side of the figs, and then wrap the ham around. Place the figs on a baking tray and drizzle with oil and season with pepper.

Grill the figs for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese melts and the ham is crispy. Place on a serving dish, drizzle with vinegar and serve immediately.

Main course

Tuna with melon salsa, lobster and peanut rice

Lobster sauce:

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp plain flour

1 tbsp brandy

2 tbsp concentrated lobster fund

4 dl fish stock

1 dl cream (any fat content)

cayenne pepper

pressed lemon

salt

Peanut rice:

1.5 dl of cooked rice

1/2 dl peanut butter

chili spice

clove of garlic

salt

Black Pepper

1/2 tbsp soy sauce

butter or oil for frying

2 tbsp crème fraîche

Tuna:

200g fresh tuna, cut into oblong pieces

Salsa:

200 g watermelon

0.5 lime, juice of

1 fresh chili pepper, finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in flour. Return the pan to the plate. Dilution with fish broth, a little at a time.

Pour in the brandy, cream and lobster fund and let it simmer for a while.

Season with salt, lemon juice and cayenne pepper.

Continue to fry the rice over medium heat, season well. Pour in the soy sauce, peanut sauce and crème fraîche.

Cut the melon into wedges, cut loose flesh and cut it into small cubes.

Mix melon dice with lime juice, chili pepper and olive oil in a bowl.

Heat a frying pan. Add the tuna and broil it around so that it has beautiful color, about ½ minutes on each side. Allow to cool. Cut the fish into slices.

Serve!

Dessert

Rom flambéed banana with coffee ice cream

1 dl whipping cream

1 tbsp instant coffee powder

½ liter of vanilla ice cream

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp muskovado sugar, or raw sugar

2 sliced bananas

2 tablespoons rum

Heat the cream in a saucepan and add the coffee powder. Stir until coffee is dissolved, take off the heat and let cool. Add the ice cream in a bowl. Whisk it smooth with electric mixer and add the coffee cream while whisking. The ice cream will have a soft consistens. Heath the butter and sugar in a pan. Add the banana slices and fry for a minute. Remove the pan from the stove and make sure you have free space for the flame (hold therefore not pan under the fan). Pour immediately on the rum and lit on spirits. Serve ice cream and bananas as soon as it stopped burning.

At the age of ten Sophia moved from Sweden in 1998 and has since lived in several locations around the world including Spain, and has been residing in North Cyprus for four years now.
Her educational background is in marketing, hotel management and real estate, and she now works as a real estate agent and is editor in chief for New Cyprus Magazine.
If you any questions for Sophia, please write to: sophia@newcyprusmagazine.com.